The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-27
Patriotism Versus Pensions.

In reading the provisions of the pro
posed Dependent Relief pension
Bill, one may readily conclude that
should such measure really be enact
ed, there would henceforth be no diff
Guilty in raising large armies in this
country for any purpose, when it il
found that military service, however
brief such service may be, means
maintenance for life. The largess
which the Roman Emperors were in
the habit of casting to their legions
was as nothing compared to it. In
the message of the President vetoing
the bill he shows by the experience Of
the past that any estimate limiting the
presumed number of dependent bene.
ficiaries to any small number is alto.
gether illusory. The annual charge
on this account might therefore be
more safely set down at fifteen mill.
ions of dollars than at five millions.
But this very serious inroad upon
the Government exchequer would moi
be the worst feature of loss to the
country. In one view of the case, il
might not even be called loss, fol
there would be simply a transfer ol
moneys from the Golfers of the treasu'
ry to the pockets of many thousands Of
the people, to be by the latter distribu'
ted in numberless ways through the
ordinary channels of trade. Yet, NOR.
ally speaking, there would be very
great loss sustained throughout the ma
ton generally in the fearful amount ot
false swearing" which would need to
be incurred in order that many of the
prospective applicants for the pensions
should succeed In getting their names
entered upon the rolls. Of old, the
prophet Hosea certified concerning
the Israel of his day, that "the LORD
hath a controversy with the inhabi.
tants of the land, because there is nc
truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge o1
God in the land" He then names
Swearing and lying'' the first of the
sins which should bring desolation
and mourning upon the land and the
dwellers therein. No light matter te
find ourselves drifting into a peril o1
that description.
Further, the loss of self-respect an6
self-reliance which would ensue wher
it was found that by the sacrifice O
truth a partial living at least could be
conveniently drawn from the public
treasury would tend to additionally
aid the process of moral weakening
Incidentally, the saloon interest woulc
be great gamer. A paragraph from
the sound logic of the Presidents vett
ebOn1d he here inserted:
"In the execution of this proposed
law, under any Interpretation, a wide
field of inquiry would be opened fol
the establishment of facts largely
within the knowledge of the claim
ants alone; and there can be no doub
that the race after the pensions Offered
by this bill would not only stimulate
weakness and pretended incapacity fol
labor, but put a further premium or
dishonesty and mendacity. The eff
feet of new invitations to apply fol
pensions, or of new advantages added
to causes for pensions already existing
is sometimes startling"
1t may therefore be safely said thai
the passage of such law as this would
be nothing less than great nationa
calamity.
The published histories of our coun
try, and especially the literature of the
Rebellion, have had great deal to ex
press about the nnselfih, self-sacriic
ing spirit of those who went into the
conflict to save their country in it:
hour of great peril. The pure motive
of very many who went into the wal
cannot be questioned. Nevertheless
when it is thus made to appear thai
engagement in war (Which many be-
lieve to be in violation of Christ's com
mands) is to be singled out as the high
est public service, and, as such, is tc
be rewarded (it may be) for the life
term of the participants, it may readi
be believed that the teaching is mis-
chievous in it's tendency, and that the
definition of patriotism may need tc
be rewritten.